The New York Giants have three home games remaining on their 2019 regular season schedule, which means there are just three more opportunities to put veteran Eli Manning in front of the home town crowd for a well-deserved goodbye.
However, that is not going to happen and it has nothing to do with any decisions the Giants have or have not made.
Par for the course with Eli, he has no interest in taking part in a ceremonial game and will refuse to play unless a scenario for his return is created naturally, reports the New York Post.
“Eli’s not into playing that game,” one insider says. “He’s into playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”
Manning, the insider said, would view a last-start spectacle as “ceremonial nonsense” and that he has given “zero thought to that” and “he would not want any part of that.” Remember in 2017, Manning stiff-armed the plan to have him start to keep his streak alive, sensing disingenuity.
Ultimately, Manning’s swan song will remain a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills on September 15, 2019. After that, the Giants panicked and sold Eli up the river, yanking the rug out from under him and resigning him to the bench, where he’s remained since silently.
The Giants will likely have a nice video tribute set up for Manning in the MetLife finale, but other than that, we’ve already seen the most unceremonious and unfortunate end for a future Hall of Famer of all-time.
[lawrence-related id=632746,632745,632694]